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Monday, 17 November 2014

Just recently I've come across a store selling fake M.A.C products and ever since I've joined beauty blogging community I've heard people complaining about these products, and I can see why. First off, if you're not M.A.C, then why claim to be. It's unethical, immoral, just plain out wrong to use someone else's hard earned status just to get your stuff out there. It would be so much better on the company's part to just create their own brand, create a name for themselves where they can build from and earn their own accolades. So many people fall into the trap of paying for something that they're not getting - especially on sites like eBay where all you can do is take the person's word for it.

The second thing, what the hell is up with the quality?

A least if they're claiming to be a high end product they should have a formula to match. This is a bright red lip colour and it goes on a bit sheer at first. The coverage is buildable and it's glossy. Once on your lips it goes on everything. I'm so serious when I tell you that the lipstick is so messy. It will not stay on, it's a light almost lip balmy formula.

Things like this are frustrating. Dupes are okay. They're the same shade usually offered at a lower price than the original, but when a company presents itself as another for profits, then there's a problem. I mean, if you're only making makeup only because of the money, then you're in this for all the wrong reasons. It's just like if a beauty guru made content just for the free stuff and cash.

Yes, I knowing bought a not-M.A.C M.A.C product - which is money better spent - but I felt like I needed to say something on this topic. Now . . . I'm not so sure what I'm going to do with this lipstick now that I've tested it out, but thank you guys for listening to reading my rant.

Wednesday, 29 October 2014

It's been a really long time since I've done a lifestyle post hasn't it. Well, today a friend and I were talking about what we wanted to do in life after we leave school. As some of you may know, I've just finished up high school and am now attending sixth form - basically community college. I only have so much time left before the real world kicks in and I actually have to put things into action. I do actually know what career I'll be going after for once I've left school, but I've found myself asking, 'If today was your last day of school, what would you do?'

It scares me that I have no answer for that question.

I know where I want to go but I don't know how I'll get there. Through the jumble of looking into different universities and stressing about how exactly I'm going to be able to pay my tuition is just a lot to deal with. Taking out a loan is the last thing I want to do. Being in debt before I've even hit 21 is just not an appealing thought.

Do I work for a few years before I go?

Do I work while I'm there? But then how is that going to work out with me being an international student?

Do I try to get a scholarship? But what if it doesn't happen, what then?

All these questions just stress me out because I know where I want to go, but I don't know how to get there. I've been looking into universities since I was 14 years old and of the colleges that I've looked into Parson The New School (NYC) and Istituto Marangoni (Milan) for a course in Fashion Design stand out the most to me. I would think that a lot of these concerns would resonate with a lot of people who have been through similar situations.

I guess in the next few years we'll see what happens, but I just don't want to get in a situation where I'm just stuck.

Yes, this post has been way off from the usual. I wanted to share a bit more of myself with you guys away from the beauty and fashion posts and this is a topic that I've been thinking about a lot as the time comes closer to make a solid decision. But, as always, thank you for reading.

If you've attended university, what was the initial process like for you?

Monday, 27 October 2014

Good Monday everyone, so this post may or may not be rather shorter than my usual wishlists and posts in general but regardless it's time for the second half of my AW Wishlist Series - beauty. I hope you enjoy.

ZOEVA Brushes

I have an obsession with makeup brushes, I could never have too much of them and at some point you all may just see me on Hoarders walking around my house two feet deep in the stuff. These Zoeva brushes are the current focus of my obsession, but can you blame me?

These brushes have a classic, yet professional, yet femme fatale way about them that comes all wrapped up in a nifty carrying case. I like the sleek black handles and how the bristles are either all white or white tipped. It's always that much easier to maintain the cleanliness of your brushes when you can see that they're dirty. On top of the look, I've also seen beauty bloggers and vloggers alike raving about their excellent performance - I mean that's what we all look for in our brushes, right? Something pretty to look at that gets the job done.

Besides, rose gold is just a girl's best friend.

Revlon ColorStay

For foundation at the moment I don't have any long checklist of things that it must do. All I'm looking for is something that has long-lasting full coverage with SPF and the Revlon ColorStay seems to be the one to give exactly that. Through research I found that it gives a natural-dewy finish and leaves your skin feeling soft and nice. Those qualities are quite appealing and I can't wait to get my hands on some of this.

Clarins Autumn Makeup

Clarins has released an Autumn Makeup Collection for this year and its quite impressive. I have mentioned this so many times in the past, but just in case you haven't heard, I am a sucker for neutral eyeshadows; they are my absolute go-to's. The sleek gold packaging only heightens the reason of why they're on my wishlist. Admittedly though, it seems like only 2 of the 5 shades of lipstick would go well with my complexion. Sigh.

Givenchy Lipstick

I like this more for the colour than anything else. The deep, mellow pink really appeals to me for some weird reason. I don't usually lean towards pink lips and this I think would be a good step in that direction. This was a last minute addition to my wishlist really - it caught my eye last minute.

So there you have it, the final bit of my AW Wishlist Series and I hope that you've enjoyed every word of it. I just had to add this part, it's been nagging at me: Doesn't Zoeva sound better as (Zoh-e-vah) instead of (Zoh-ee-vah)?

Wednesday, 22 October 2014

For a long
while I’ve been wanting to try out the EOS lip balms and recently-ish I got myself the Strawberry Sorbet
version. Really I’ve had this since early August and I’ve just been conflicted
about how I really feel about it. As you can see by the pictures – or maybe you
can’t – the balm is halfway gone after 3 months. That’s a very long time for a balm to last, but then again I don’t use it every
day.

My first
impression after application numero uno was
that the balm feels really nice going onto my lips. The indentation in the
packaging makes removing the cap and applying the balm really easy. The
packaging overall is smooth and I’m a fan of the spherical concept – really unique
and stands out in the crowd.

After
applying a few more times over a couple of days I noticed that my lips started
to peel. My first thought was that my lips were just getting used to a more organic
approach of moisturising and I kept using it to see if that was indeed the
problem. After a while I began to wonder if the peeling was a result of my
extremely cold air conditioned surroundings as during late summer I’d been on
an internship. Eventually it did stop - when my internship had ended weeks
later. I’d discussed this with a friend of mine who religiously EOS and she too had experienced the whole “EOS + A/C = Peeling Lips” scenario. So
in the end my first few weeks of using the balm were invalid.

I continued
using the balm after and my lips eventually went back to normal. But even in normal
conditions I find that I have to constantly reapply as it doesn’t last long on
my lips. The smell is amazing to have
waft up your nose every time and I love that. But to have to apply again and again in such a short span of time is just
not cutting out for me. I really wanted to like this product but I have to say
that I don’t. This didn’t work as well as I expected and I know people who have
had the same experience.

That’s it
for today’s post and as always thank
you guys so much for reading.

Friday, 17 October 2014

My eyelashes have a natural curl to them, The curl is defined to the point where the tips of my lashes actually go back to touch my eyelid. Although the curl is convenient, time saving, the extremity of it is just annoying. I cannot apply mascara without having it smudge onto my eyelids, so sitting here and talking to you guys about an eyelash curler was the last thing I'd ever expect to be doing.

Believe it or not, this curler has actually helped me with my problem.

I find that if I use the curler upside down it gets my lashes straightened out enough to the point where there's still some curl to it, but it's not dragging along my upper lids. I don't know how many of you have the problem where your eyelashes are just to much.

A while back I' actually looked up how to straighten eyelashes and came up answerless. Before the state of my eyelashes caused me lots of problems, one of which was preventing me from wearing false lashes. Although this eyelash curler from GEM was very helpful, I'm not saying that it's the only curler that can do the trick. Any curler should be able to do the job as far as I'm concerned, but the GEM curler is just the one that I use.

The silver finish gives it a feel of professionalism, it's light weight and travel friendly.

The one thing I don't like about it is that it's one of those curlers that doesn't come with a replacement pad and I'm left to wonder how long this one will last me. I've had this since the beginning of August so it's been a while, but I guess I'll just have to resort to buying a whole new curler when the time comes.

Monday, 13 October 2014

Goodbye SS, hello AW.With Summer over it's expected to see some cooler weather about. Here in the tropics though, there's only that much cooler the weather can get. Autumn or not, the sun seems to have gotten hotter than it had been this Summer, as impossible as that may sound.But as tropical storm Gonzalo passes through today, the sky is nothing but a cover of thick grey clouds and I can finally catch a break from the heat. I love cold weather and the rain, call me crazy but that's just how it is.

My AW style wishlist wont necessarily be appropriate for anywhere else but the the tropics and any other places that don't experience drastic temperature drops around this time of year. So, for those of you in the colder regions, I'm sorry if you can't relate. Here's my wishlist.

I don't know, I just have a thing for floral prints at the moment and I think that these skirts are great Autumn staples, whether your Autumns are a bit colder or not. I really like these skirts from H&M, Amazon and Debenhams. They're all very versatile, just dress them up with some heels and a top not or dress them down with some flats and a loose braid. I'd love to make these a part of my AW wardrobe.

Handbags

I actually used to hate handbags a while back. I hated them because I'd always have to be holding them. I actually preferred toting around the bare essentials in my pockets - spoken like a true tomboy, not that I am one. But now they've really grown on me - a lot - and I really like these ones from Lane Crawford and Rebecca Minkoff - it's the floral print. What do you think?

Sunnies

I have a slight obsession with these things and I can never really pick just one when is comes to them. Hence, why I have multiple sunglasses in this wishlist. I've recently come to like aviators and these ones from Ray-Ban are quite tempting - polarized, yes please. These cat eye sunnies from Vince Camuto are a real looker, they're one of my favourite styles of sunglasses. And speaking of favourite sunglass styles, the round ones from Net-A-Porter seem like real keepers. See my dilemma?

Ankle Boots

I actually don't have any ankle boots at the moment and I've been wanting a pair for quite some time now. The ones from Charlotte Russe are definitely my style - love the laces.

Watch

I have a fascination with rose gold. It's such a subtle feminine colour and I especially like it on watches. I haven't been wearing any watches as of late and this watch from Michael Kors seems like just the piece to get me started again. Of course I know what time it is!

This is is for my AW Style Wishlist, but tune in for my AW Beauty Wishlist same time, same place next week. Another thing, I Van Rose now has a solid posting schedule. Posts go live on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays each week.

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About Me

Hey Everyone!

Welcome to my little blog and thanks for stopping by.
I'm a blogger based out of the Caribbean. Here I like to write posts about beauty products that I'm using, products on my wishlist, makeup tips and trips, personal style and some lifestyle thrown into the mix.
I post on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.